Head of OSCE Mission to Moldova regrets lack of consensus on Transnistrian settlement

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Louis O’Neill, is disappointed about the lack of consensus among the mediators in the Transnistrian settlement process on going ahead with the settlement talks scheduled for and February 15, 16 in Chisinau. “We deeply regret that there is no consensus among the mediators to uphold the invitation to the parties for a new round of settlement talks,” O’Neill said. At the same time, according to a press release from the Reintegration Ministry, Chisinau officially voices its disappointment and bewilderment in connection with the failure in organisaing the Transnistrian settlement talks, due to the absence of certain participants who did not offer any well-grounded reasons. We hope that a more efficient activity of the mediators and observers will succeed in bringing together all the involved sides, thus resuming the process of negotiations in “5+2” format after a year”, the press release says. Concurrently, understanding the necessity of removing the difficulties’ consequences occured in the “3+2” format (OSCE, Ukraine, Russia, EU and the USA), Chisinau reiterates its readiness to open a dialogue aimed to settle the existent disputes, a dialogue that would strengthen the trust between the sides and support the mediation efforts of the states and organisations involved in settling the Transnistrian dispute. The mediators from the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the OSCE had invited the chief negotiators from the Republic of Moldova and the Transnistrian region to participate in “5+2” format talks on February 15 and 16 2007. The invitation was signed as a result of the talks among the mediators and the observers – the European Union and the United States.